Ratchet & Clank: To Travel The Days (Rewrite)
by Max Chronicle
Summary: "Because it's not a time machine Alister, the clock isn't meant to alter time, only keep it!" Legendary words from a legendary hero. Because of two setbacks he chose to leave it all behind. When given a final chance, Ratchet - alongside Clank and Talwyn - will give everything they have with two new heroes to stop Tachyon and bring home the Lombaxes... thirty years ago. [Hiatus]
1. Chapter 1

The sounds of struggle could be heard, even from behind IRIS' sealed doors. Adding to the noise came the snap and sear of Combuster bullets, the crash of something exploding, and quite the number of vehement slurs. Moments passed until rent metal's familiar clang deafened those amid the struggle. There came a pause at that. But as faces turned to look toward its source, those that saw were horrified by the sight of their pirate comrade, severed at each joint into the many pieces that littered the ground.

They turned again toward the one responsible. Only, their enemy was no longer in sight.

"Wher'd ee git too?" A pirate asked. In rage, his grip on his sword tightened till steel-white. He turned with fury and haste. Nearby, two pirates wielding Combusters grouped together back-to-back, covering for each other while they too had angry looks about the entrance of IRIS.

"We git that landlubber. Break 'is head wit' o' bottle of grog, ay fellas?" The cry of approval rose to raucous levels.

Watching the pirates move about, the one responsible for the shattered pirate stood atop the exterior dome of IRIS. In his right hand fit a sphere of purple energy. _"Bottle?"_ he thought to himself, his eyes lowering to take sight of the sphere in his hand. Beneath his steady gaze, his grip relaxed and his fingers released the sphere. It morphed into a cylinder. Next came a curved handle out from its side. Smiling at his handiwork, the stranger took the handle in his fingers and called out to the pirates. They reared their heads to face their opponent.

With a shout, those with swords ran toward the dome and those with Combusters began to open fire on the stranger. The stranger's feet carried him toward the edge of the dome where he took a leap. As he sailed through the air, he bent over and threw his bottle down at the sword-pirates. A shockwave ripped across the battleground upon landing, electrocuting the sword-pirates. Smoke billowed from their bodies as the stranger landed. The Combuster bullets failed to hit their intended target. And when their opponent landed, the Combuster-pirates broke apart, taking the opportunity to cover his flanks before firing some more.

The stranger broke for the smoke and vanished in the gray. Turning to face his foes from within the haze, more spheres of energy formed in his hands. With a thrust outward, they left the stranger's hands and bore toward the Combuster-pirates. They fell too upon contact. Smoke also billowed from their bodies.

The stranger cleared his throat and turned around. Black covered his eyes before a mighty crack could be heard. Thrown off his feet by the force, the stranger slid on his back across the ground. He looked up. Sure that it was a pirate who nailed the nose-rending blow, the stranger stared into the smoke and saw a dark form on approach. It raised his sword high. Quickly the stranger's irises filled with purple and he narrowed his gaze at the approaching shadow.

As the odd sensation overcame the pirate, he tried to move his head so as to look around. The pirate found he couldn't move at all. Even his eyes were frozen in place, unable to look away from an approaching figure through the smoke. The color of the stranger's irises immediately struck the pirate as dumbfounded. Again the pirate tried to move, but the stranger shook his head in disapproval at the sight.

_"__You don't stand a chance against my telekinesis,"_ The stranger began, who to the pirate's surprise, the stranger's lips moved not at all, and yet his words were audible. _"I suggest you give it up."_

The will to speak, to curse and insult his enemy rose within the pirate. But try as he might, the mechanisms in his jaw refused to cooperate. All he could do was watch as the stranger turned his body and reach out with his hand. By now, most of the smoke subsided, allowing the pirate to see clearly the shimmer of steel that blinded his eyes before he ever saw what the stranger reached for. With a steady hand, the stranger rested the tip of the cutlass in the middle of the pirate's torso.

_"__If you __had__ kn__own__ what was good for you, you and your mates __here__ would have taken my warnings __to your other mates__ more seriously."_

The stranger pushed. The blade made a clean stab. As the stranger released his foe from his telekinetic grip, he watched the pirate fall limp on the blade, dead on the spot. The stranger dropped the cutlass at that point, noting with calm the loud clanging the pirate made after he crashed against the floor.

Looking around, no more enemies were in view. Satisfied, and hoping that this would be the last of them, the stranger turned around and walked up to IRIS's sealed doors. They retracted at his presence and the stranger finished his walk inside.

"Hello Nathaniel. I've been awaiting your arrival," IRIS said in greeting.

"That's nice to know." As Nathaniel's gaze drifted over the many computer screens, he recognized them showing his life up to that point. Although some of what was shown stirred up warm feelings, he couldn't help but notice the screens showing the trying times of his life. It wasn't long before he decided he'd had enough, and his eyes looked to the main screen of IRIS, where a flatline sat in waiting for a question to be asked.

"If that's so, you know what I'm going to ask about then," Nathaniel replied.

"I do. You wish to know more about time travel. Or more specifically, Travel The Days."

"That's correct. What can you tell me about it?"

"Very little. The Agent of Time kept much knowledge of the artifact a secret. However, if you are truly bent on seeking it, I suggest you bring in Ratchet and Clank."

Nathaniel tilted his head over in question. "Those-galactic-heroes-from-Solana-who-currently-reside-here-Ratchet-and-Clank?"

"They are the only Ratchet and Clank," IRIS stated.

"Just making sure. Continue."

"There are not many beings within your reach of the cosmos to help you on your journey. Should Ratchet and Clank choose to aid you, I recommend seeing the Senior Caretaker of The Great Clock, Sigmund. He may have what you seek."

"Understood. Is that all?"

"Yes."

"Thank you IRIS." Nathaniel turned away and began a sprint for the teleporter near the entrance of the area.

"You're welcome."

* * *

Nathaniel was beamed back outside. Instinctively, his hands receded into the sleeves of his hoodie. He chuckled to himself as his eyes again colored purple and a faint aura surrounded his body. His hands pushed out of the sleeves and they felt nothing of the bitter chill that filled the air around him.

"You sure took your sweet time," a voice called out. Nathaniel looked toward where the source resided. Stepping out of the shadows from a looming ice wall, a figure in body-tight, light sliver and green holo-armor entered Nathaniel's view. The helmet to the newcomer's armor was retracted, revealing a round face covered by dark silver fur. Three forest green stripes in the shape of triangles was evenly spaced along two long, pointy ears that stuck out near the back of his head. Sharp crimson met the gaze of bright purple. They both smiled at the other and the latter's eyes receded to the owner's original color: hazel.

"Hey Terin," Nathaniel greeted. He walked over and offered a hand. As Terin took hold and both exchanged a firm shake, Nathaniel continued, "Yeah, it wasn't a simple 'get in, get out' mission like I thought it would be."

The smile from Terin devolved into a knowing smirk. He lowered his hand and said, "Knowing you I'd say you toyed with them."

Nathaniel shrugged, taking a moment to look away. "It's not every day you come across insignificant trash beneath your notice.

"'Insignificant trash' huh? That's new."

"Yeah. Thought the 'pathetic weakling' was getting old."

"A little bit. So Nathan, what now?"

"IRIS says we should go see Ratchet and Clank and invite them to join us."

Eyebrows shot up in surprise and Terin took a step back without thought. "Wait… what? Really?"

Nathaniel nodded. "But as for finding a starting place to begin our search for Travel The Days, IRIS recommended the Senior Caretaker of The Great Clock."

Terin tilted his head forward and turned a complete one-eighty. His feet carried him to a ship nearby. A hand reached out and patted the windshield. "Alright Zenith, open up."

"Will do."

A whoosh of air pricked at Terin's and Nathaniel's ears as they watched the former's ship open its canopy. Terin placed a hand on his ship and leaped in, taking the driver seat. Nathaniel wasn't far behind his friend before he hopped in and took shotgun. As Zenith closed the canopy windshield, he spoke up, reminding them both that none here knew where the galactic duo were at in the present time.

"That's what I'm mulling over," Terin said.

Though nobody said a word further, their surroundings were far from quiet as Terin flicked a switch, igniting Zenith's engines. Taking the steering mechanism in one hand, Terin's other hand moved across the dash, eyes scanning everything in an effort to check off pre-flight procedures. With a nod, his free hand took the other side of the steering mechanism and he pulled up. Zenith complied. At a safe altitude above the comet's frozen landscape, Terin pushed the mechanism forward and Zenith blasted away.

"Any ideas?" Terin asked his passenger.

"Actually I do," Nathaniel began in answer, "Talwyn Apogee."

Unseen by Nathaniel, Terin's brow furrowed as he tried to recall the face behind the name. "She's the Defense Force Captain, right?"

"She is. And she's a high enough ranking member that she can be found on Igliak."

Taking a hand off the mechanism, Terin gave his friend a thumbs-up and asked Zenith if he heard Nathaniel.

"I did. Planet Igliak it is. Prepare jump for the Praxus Sector."

_**R&C**_

Gazing through a pair of binoculars, its owner lowered them upon losing sight of their ship in the depths of space. Clipping them a hook on his belt, he placed a hand on his left arm, fiddling with a wrist and upper arm mounted device. When a quiet buzzing noise was produced, he began to speak.

"This is Jornik, reporting from Kreeli Comet. Targets are on the move to an unknown location. I can only assume that from time they spent here, IRIS was involved with their search. I will make my way to the supercomputer and ask about their time here. Over and out."

Jornik shut off the recording and out popped a mini holodisc. Taking it his palm, a hand reached to his waist and pressed a button. Behind him, a whoosh of air pricked at his ears and he turned to see his ship open up. He walked over and leaned inside. Taking the holodisc, Jornik placed it in a slot on the dash of his ship.

"Upload log entry to Commander Balloch," Jornik commanded.

* * *

**Hello everyone. Yes, this is exactly what you're thinking. And I hope to explain my case here:**

**I don't hate what I originally wrote. But it is deeply flawed. And no amount of superficial edits are going to fix that. The thing is, ****I had no plan when I went into this story. It was "first come, first serve" when it came to writing the chapters. Perhaps that works for a scene or two, or for special individuals, but I can say with confidence that that isn't me.**

**This story needed a complete do-over. And today is the day I unveil the new first chapter of this do-over to the archive.**

**I won't disclose the fate of the old To Travel The Days. But effective immediately, this is the official To Travel The Days.**

**Also, about the cover art... Guardian, I hope you aren't bothered by it. And if you are, I'm sorry.**

**Until chapter 02 everyone, take care!  
Max out.**


	2. Chapter 2

White puffballs freckled the sky above Meridian City. Zenith glided in above city airspace as he made his way downtown. He let Nathaniel and Terin know when he was over the Defense Force center.

"Understood," Terin said. He turned to Nathaniel. "You ready?"

The psychic nodded, his face split by a confident smile. "Sure am."

Terin pulled back on the steering mechanism and slowed Zenith to a stop. Next he pressed a button and Nathaniel and Terin soon felt resistance against their chests.

"Open up Zenith."

The ship's canopy opened and two clicking sounds were nearly inaudible against the whipping winds and running engines. Shrill whistles filled the two's ears and a whoop of delight left the mouth of Nathaniel. Terin activated his armor's helmet and looked over at the psychic. He could see the purple outline surrounding Nathaniel. Soon, a thought reached out to the lombax.

_"__Terin. Have we reached terminal velocity __yet__?"_

Said lombax watched as purple eyes set their gaze on him. He answered the question with a nod. "Activating hoverboots now."

Nathaniel watched as Terin rushed past before pulling up, eventually transitioning to horizontal. The psychic turned and craned his head to watch Terin leave his field of vision. Turning back toward Meridian, Nathaniel closed his eyes and focused. The whistling that once filled his ears quieted to silence. And as he stood in the air, the faint lurching in his stomach told him he hadn't negated the forces acting on his body completely.

He'd live however. The psychic looked around for Terin. He found him soaring a vertical loop, curls of transparent smoke following in the lombax's wake. Completing his maneuver, Terin settled next to Nathaniel and retracted his helmet.

"Well, we're here."

Nathaniel remained silent. He raised a slow hand where the index finger flicked and pointed to a window near the top of the building. From where the two were, they needed to descend a bit more.

"Good job. Now let's go talk to Captain Apogee."

_**R&C**_

The doors separated at approaching steps. The brisk pace set off loud echoes amidst the open office. On all sides, large windows revealed terrific views of the vast cityscape of Meridian City. In the center of the room was an executive's desk, furnished with nothing but a computer monitor on top.

The steps soon came to a stop near the front of the desk. A wave of a hand tossed a manila folder on the desk before the steps continued. They moved around the table and stopped before the windows. Blue eyes scanned the sights below and found crowds gathered at the base of the building.

Talwyn's hand met her forehead on its decline and a sigh escaped her. She remained standing like that for some time as the thought of her breaths permeated her mind.

A fleeting glance back to the desk was taken before a knock sounded off. Her first thought was the way she came in, so she turned to the door, silently noting the lock was not engaged. When the knock came again, Talwyn walked over to her desk and sat in the accompanying chair. With a press of a button, a holo-vid feed appeared on the screen. No one was at the door. Her head tilted in confusion. Releasing the button, the screen went blank.

_"You must be having a rough day if you're that clueless to my location,"_ a voice said. The jolt of surprise rocketed Talwyn out of her seat. _"__I'll make it easy—I'm right behind you.__"_

She was quick to follow the obvious clue laid out by the words not her own. Face to face with the windows of her office, Talwyn found two strangers floating on the other side of the glass. A sharp inhale, audible to the sole person in the office was the only sound made as the strangers waved. Blue eyes blinked twice before a hand went to massage the lids that covered them. When done, Talwyn lowered her hand and took another look.

She watched as one of the strangers floated up to the window and rested his face against it. Her brow furrowed as she tentatively started for the windows.

"...Hello! Talwyn?! Can you hear me?!"

"Yes. I can." Her voice was loud and words slow to leave her lips. It made them precise, hoping the stranger could hear her. Once at the window, she took stock of the one who tried to speak, noting his attire consisted of dark or neutral colors. The hooded sweater, long pants, and combat boots all looked worn in like it was the stranger's preferred choice. His skin was light like hers. But his hair was different – brown. And also curly. Much different when compared to that of her straight-running, deep red. Lastly, the stranger's eyes, a bright and energized purple which Talwyn found unique, entirely its own.

A wave from the stranger interrupted her study. He spoke again. Nodding, Talwyn turned away and pulled out a drawer of the desk. Retrieving a controller from it, Talwyn closed the drawer and pressed a button. She turned to find the glass pane open to the outside. The two strangers parted to the sides and watched in silence. Bustling noise of the city entered, bringing with it steady gusts Talwyn found brisk. Inside the rooms and offices of her work, where everything was at a perfect temperature, and without the direct sunlight beating on her to accommodate for the gusts, Talwyn set her hands on her arms and rubbed them, shuddering.

The strangers entered. Talwyn was quick to close the window, sighing in relief as quiet once again filled the office. She took a seat and set the controller on the desk. She spun in her chair and spoke first.

"I must say uh… this is umm… interesting." She was aware of her painfully obvious gaze she gave to each of the strangers in turn.

"Where we come from, this would be called making a demonstration," the hoodie-wearing stranger said. He flashed a smile and crossed his arms. Talwyn leaned back, keeping tight control of her composure as she felt a pulling in the lower part of her face.

She pointed to Nathaniel. "You're the confident one."

Nathaniel shrugged. Shooting a glance at Terin, the psychic remarked, "Somebody has to be."

Terin shook his head with a chuckle. "I'll give you a chance to correct that remark."

"Mmhmm. And what will happen if I don't take it?"

"Let's see—" Terin began to tick with his fingers each idea that came to his head "—no holo-net; no holo-vision; I'll see to it your training schedule is doubled; and lastly, I know where some scary fish live, I know where you sleep, and I know where I can find a sack I can stuff you into."

Amused by the list, Talwyn watched the brief exchange with a hidden smile. Able to imagine what no holo-net or holo-vision was like, Talwyn however was unsure how big a deal double training would be, yet it was her biggest surprise that the hoodie stranger's cocky expression devolved into fright as the final item was rattled off.

"Pool sharks?" Talwyn asked.

Nathaniel turned to her and pointed a finger at her. Her surprised was prolonged, and uneasiness added when hearing the stranger snap at her to never mention that name. To top it off, the stranger looked about him, giving hard looks at the floor. What was her fear turned to confusion as the finger was finally lowered and Talwyn watched the stranger begin to levitate.

"Really?!" Talwyn turned to the armored stranger. Her thumb gestured to the Nathaniel as she asked, "That scared?"

"Petrified," came the armored stranger's response. "He's fine though."

She looked over at the other stranger. "Don't you think that was a little too much?"

Talwyn caught the one head shake out of her peripheral. She waited a moment before stepping out of the chair. With a heavy sigh, she glanced between her guests and asked what why they stopped on by.

"It's rather simple really," the hoodie-stranger began, "we just need to know where Ratchet and Clank are."

"How come?"

"Because." This time it was the armored stranger. Talwyn turned toward him. His helmet retracted. She froze. The lombax walked over to her and Nathaniel. Terin raised a hand and placed it on his friend's shoulder.

"You can come down now," he urged in a whisper. With a pat of support, Terin returned his hand to his side. The psychic dropped to the ground. The outline surrounding him from his powers vanished. Talwyn looked on, curiosity dashing over her features as the hoodie-stranger's eyes changed from purple to hazel.

"Amazing," she whispered in awe. "Both of you."

Talwyn backed away, using her hands to feel behind her until they came into contact with what she was looking for. With a push on the edge of the desk, she propped herself on it.

"So," she started, "you're a lombax."

A twinkle of laughter rang in the air. "I think that's already been established."

Her shoulders rose close to her cheeks. "But it explains much. This is about the Lombaxes, isn't it?"

"Yes," the lombax answered. "But more than you realize. Before we continue, it's best if introduce ourselves."

"That would be appreciated."

The hoodie-stranger placed his right hand on his chest. "Nathaniel Bayden."

With the same hand he gestured to the lombax. "Terin Arc."

"Nathaniel. Terin." Talwyn said each name to its owner. They nodded, beaming a smile.

"That's right," Nathaniel concluded. "Now that we're all acquainted, yes Talwyn, this does have to deal with the Lombaxes. We want to bring them back from exile."

"You'd need a Dimensionator for that. And good luck trying to get one—or build one, if you have the patience for that."

"If we wanted to do that, it would've been done already. What we seek for them is far greater."

Nathaniel looked down at his hands. Inhaling he clasped them together. Exhaling he rubbed them together. "What I'm about to say doesn't leave this room." Nathaniel looked up at Talwyn. He tilted his head forward and narrowed his gaze. "Do I have your word?"

"You do. But if I may, have you ever intimidated anyone before?"

"Told you," the sudden, snark-filled tones of Terin rang out.

A whirl from Nathaniel had Terin seeing a finger pointed between his eyes. "You. Quiet."

A suppressed chuckle was all the lombax had for his friend. Nathaniel sighed and lowered his finger.

"To answer your question Talwyn, not many people. Perhaps I **could** use work." To the last the psychic sent the lombax a glare.

"I see."

Nathaniel recovered from Terin's jab and resumed his best serious impression. "We found a way to travel through time. And that's our way to bring them back from exile. Stop Tachyon from ever building his Drophyd army and laying waste to Fastoon."

"… … …What?"

"From our own research and the word of IRIS, we have a way to locate an artifact that'll allow the users to traverse time itself. Terin and I plan to use it to stop Tachyon."

"But that's… impossible!"

"Not anymore. The thing is though, IRIS said we'd have to see Ratchet and Clank first before we began our search in earnest. Unwittingly, I forgot to ask the supercomputer for their location."

"You were there. Couldn't you just have gone back and asked?"

Nathaniel turned to Terin. His jaw slacked. "… …I did not think about that."

Bemused at the sight, Terin waved a hand about before placing it at his hip. "And neither did I. But we're here now. So Talwyn, if you could help us out that'd be awesome."

"I wouldn't mind. They'd be at their apartment here in the city."

Talwyn hopped off the desk and asked if either Nathaniel or Terin had a nav-unit.

"I do." Terin held up his left arm where at the wrist was a cuff that trailed down, stopping halfway between his elbow and hand. Terin activated it and asked for the address.

"Horizon Southside Complex. Apartment building two. Floor three-hundred ten. When you enter you should be able to spot floating landing strips on the east side of the building. Any spot will do if you stick to the right lane, away from the complex."

"Copy that."

Terin nodded in affirmation upon completion. He raised his wrist to his mouth and spoke. "Zenith. We learned from Captain Apogee the location of Ratchet and Clank. Meet us outside her office." A swipe with his index finger and the nav-unit was shut off. Terin held out a hand to Talwyn. She clasped it and shook it firmly.

"Thank you for your help Captain."

Talwyn released her hold and smiled. "You're welcome you two. Though I'll admit: time-travel. That just sounds so unbelievable." A stifled breath left her as the thought nested deep in her mind.

"It sure is," Nathaniel said. "But with the Lombaxes back, things will be different. And we'll see to it it's a better different."

Three pairs of ears twitched as vibrations grew in volume.

"That your ship? Zenith was it?" Talwyn inquired.

"Yes," Terin answered. He turned to the window. All they could see from the right was transparent smoke tendrils closing in. The tendrils stopped before the center window.

"Hmm."

"What's wrong Talwyn?"

She looked at Terin to find the lombax's head was craned to get a good look at her.

"Your ship must have a powerful cloaking device for it to be able to get this close to the building without being revealed by the fields surrounding this place."

Terin shrugged. "Honestly, I wouldn't know. That's not my field of expertise. All I know is that Zenith is equipped with some of best tech I could get my hands on."

"Which—" Nathaniel interrupted "—because of Terin's position, was some of the latest and greatest. We're talking worth small fortunes. Now if you don't mind—" the psychic sent a quick salute "—open up please. And we'll be on our way."

"Okay." Talwyn grabbed the remote and pointed it at the center window. With a press of a button it began to open. The steady breeze from outside invaded the space again. Talwyn kept her disappointment to herself. However, she felt a hand on her shoulder. Her eyes glanced down to the owner of the hand and soon traveled up the respective arm to meet Terin's gaze. With a gentle rub, he nodded, whispering 'it's okay' before leaving like a dart for the opening.

Talwyn watched as he flipped through the air and slid into his seat. Next was Nathaniel, who followed out much the same way, but instead of clearing the gap in one go, the psychic threw his hands out, landing on the wing. From there he pushed and catapulted through the air, sliding into shotgun much like Terin upon landing.

"Why do I get the feeling you guys practice this?"

Terin and Nathaniel turned to see Talwyn at the edge of her office. They could see she clapped with modesty but the sly look they could see told them all they needed to know. Nathaniel spoke up for the two. "How else could we get good at this?"

Talwyn turned her gaze to the city In an attempt to hide a growing grin. "You two better get going. I won't have time again today to help you should they not be there."

"Copy that. Thank you again Captain. We appreciate it."

They pulled away. Zenith sealed his canopy tight before the engines ignited. It wasn't long before Talwyn could see them no more, lost to the maze. Her steps retreated from the ledge. Taking a seat, she closed the window. She returned the remote to its place before shutting the drawer. Done, she reached a hand across the desk and pulled the folder to her. Lining a finger along the edges, Talwyn, after reaching the bottom right corner of folder, opened it.

"Thanks you two," she whispered.


	3. Chapter 3

Ears twitched in time to the popping from across the apartment. A tail also, joined in rhythm with its owner's ears.

"How much longer Clank?" Ratchet called from the living room.

"Exactly one minute and twenty-four seconds as of finishing this sentence."

"Thanks pal."

Green orbs studied the living room, flitting between the couch, the end tables, the cabinetry, and the nearest kitchen counter. Ratchet walked over to the counter and found Clank pulling a bowl of assorted fruits out of the fridge.

"Hey Clank, I can't find the remote. Remember where I put it last?"

Butter was the next item Clank removed before setting it on a nearby counter top. As Clank closed the fridge, he told Ratchet he did not remember, but he turned the question back on Ratchet and asked if he checked upstairs.

"I haven't. But that's not ringing any bells." Ratchet left and started for the stairs. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to check."

As the lombax's footfalls dwindled away, the sound in the kitchen increased drastically. Clank whipped around to the microwave. He grabbed a bowl from a cupboard and set it down next to the microwave. He pulled open the microwave door and removed the bag of popcorn. After closing the door, Clank took the bag in both hands and pulled it open. He poured its contents into the bowl and disposed of the empty bag.

"Clank!"

Clank paused before responding, checking his voice box to make sure Ratchet would be able to hear him. "Yes, Ratchet?!"

"Found it!"

Clank nodded and continued with his preparations. Footfalls increased in volume as Ratchet raced down the stairs. Clank could hear a grunt of effort from the lombax before an unsettling creak followed.

"Oops."

"Ratchet?" Clank asked, worry prompting him to leave and examine the situation himself.

He stopped as he turned the corner and saw Ratchet examining the couch. As Ratchet moved about it, he caught Clank out of the corner of his eye and he started rubbing the back of his head.

"Everything's a-okay Clank," Ratchet said, unable to keep an uneasy chuckle from slipping.

"Do be careful then," Clank advised. "The couch was not designed to handle free-falling weight."

"Copy that. I'll be more careful." Ratchet sat down and reclined, kicking his feet up on the table. Raising the remote, Ratchet pressed a button and spoke aloud: "Resonance Red". The holovision screen blinked on and the intro credits started. Ratchet paused the movie and set the remote on the table. He walked into the kitchen.

"You need any help in here pal?"

"You can grab any drinks you want from the fridge. Other than that, I can take the popcorn into the living room. I will come back for the fruit bowl."

"Alright," Ratchet said as he circled around Clank and opened the fridge. Squatting, Ratchet moved various items around, always keeping a mental checklist of his options. As his hands graced over something, Ratchet's ears perked up at the creasing noise it made.

"Oh Clank, we forgot about the crackers and cheese!" Ratchet stuck his hands in and pulled a plate wrapped in foil. Lifting a corner, Ratchet took a whiff of the cheese and eyed the aged Ruma with a growing smile.

"Perfect," he whispered in delight. He turned around and set the plate on the counter behind him. Next he grabbed a can of orange Rocha-pop and stood up. The fridge closed behind Ratchet as he walked to the pantry and with his fingers yanked down the box of crackers from their shelf.

"Whoa," Ratchet said under his breath as he let the crackers fall into his chest. "There we go."

Ratchet turned and entered the living room where he set the cheese platter and his drink down. After he took the box of crackers and opened it, he pulled out an open bag.

"I'll grab another plate for the crackers and a coaster for my drink. Since you got the fruit bowl already, you see anything else we need Clank?" Ratchet asked.

Clank shook his head.

"Okay," Ratchet said. "Be right back."

From the kitchen, Ratchet called to Clank and told him he can start the movie. As Clank lifted the remote to the holovision, raps echoed throughout the apartment. Clank stopped and turned toward the hallway. Clank noticed Ratchet enter and exit his peripheral before coming to stand beside him. Ratchet quickly set the coaster and plate on the table. He held a hand to Clank before moving for the hall.

"Hello," Ratchet called. "Who's there?"

"Ratchet?" A voice answered back. "Is that you?"

Ratchet stopped before the door. "It is. May I ask who this is?"

"The name's Nathaniel Bayden. My friend and I would like to talk to you and Clank, if Clank's here of course."

"He is." Ratchet raised his head and stared through the peephole. A figure in gray was all he could see.

"Where's your friend?" Ratchet asked. He watched as the figure moved away from the other side of the peephole. Another figure, donned in silver and green, came into view. No weapons were visible, but Ratchet still removed his eye from the peephole and cast a sideways glance to the Millennium 12 leaning nearby against the wall. Ratchet reached for the lock on the door and turned it over. Done, he lowered his hand and opened the door.

He looked up to the two before him – though immediately the figure wearing silver and green got down on one knee. Ratchet's mouth hung open in surprise, his eyes now glued to the spot where the lombax kneeled.

"My name is Terin Arc. Major of the Lombax Praetorian Guard, co-founder of the Ears & Tails—" Terin stood up, offering a hand "—and you Ratchet, it is an honor to meet."

Ratchet's eyes lingered at Terin's outstretched hand, then traveled down to his own hand, frozen by his side. Ratchet's world went dark, his head tilted, and his face wound tight.

"No." Its utterance was sharp. Nathaniel and Terin watched Ratchet spin on his heel before retreating into the hall. Terin lowered his hand.

"I see," he said. His mouth thinned.

Ratchet stopped halfway between the door and the living room. They could see his posture straighten before his head twisted to the left. "I told myself no! And it's something I intend on seeing through!"

"Ratchet. I do not know what is going on, but I can tell by your tone that that is no way to speak to visitors."

Steps sounded from the living room. Into Nathaniel's and Terin's line of view entered a robot, short and stout with a metallic shine, who stopped at his friend's right.

"Hello Clank," Nathaniel greeted.

"Hello," Clank replied. He walked past Ratchet and stopped before the door. Clank studied the visitors closely. As his optics moved to Terin, nothing betrayed the surprise Terin and Nathaniel thought Clank would have. A digit rose to his chin. For some time Nathaniel and Terin watched the robot remain. At last, he nodded, turned away, and reached a hand for the door, while during this they heard him whisper to himself, "I understand now."

He turned and with his free hand gestured inside. "Please come in."

"Thank you Clank," Nathaniel said as he stepped inside. "Very hospitable of you."

Terin followed close behind. Together, the two stepped out of the way as Clank closed the door. They watched Clank retreat through the hall into the living room. As he passed Ratchet, the two could see the lombax's shoulders sag. He followed Clank to the couch. They each took a seat, and Terin's ears twitched hearing the hushed voices of the galactic duo.

"Are you sure Clank?"

"I know you have moved on Ratchet. I respect your decision. But it is not everyday that strangers appear on your doorstep. And it is especially more rare for one of those strangers to be another lombax."

Ratchet looked to where Nathaniel and Terin were standing. With an inviting wave his head fell. "Come on," he called. "If this is about the Lombaxes, best we start right away."

Nathaniel and Terin entered the living room and looked around for seating. Seeing what they were looking for, Clank opened his mouth to speak when he caught the non-lombax irises' change color. Before the table and opposite the couch appeared two chairs of purple energy. Nathaniel and Terin each took a seat. As the two made themselves comfortable, Clank's voice filled the room. "Impressive. Exactly how are you doing that?"

Nathaniel looked at Clank and raised a hand. A sphere of psychic energy formed and encased it.

"It's an ability I've had within me all my life. Though I only had it awoken seven years ago."

"What sort of energy is it? At first glance I would say it is Nether energy. However, my scanners confirm this is not."

Unseen by the two of them, Ratchet raised his head, just enough to catch sight of the chairs. His brow furrowed while inspecting the chairs. Unbeknownst to Ratchet, Terin watched every move he made. A smile formed across Terin's face. He resisted the urge to chuckle.

"Psychic energy," Nathaniel answered. "Derived from my mind and constituted into physical shapes by my will. I don't know anything about Nethers."

"Nethers are a race of creatures from another dimension. We only know of one person who could manifest objects the same way you are doing now, although she received her powers from the leader of the Nethers."

"That's cool. So for the sake of a query, do you suspect the Nether leader able to do the same?"

"I do not see why not." Clank turned to Ratchet. "Did Mr. Eye ever manifest objects in his fight against you?"

Ratchet's head was downcast and he answered in a flat tone. "No pal. He never did. Just energy beams, summoning Nethers, and using his appendages to flatten me like a pancake."

"Sounds like fun!"

Ratchet shrugged. "Well, considering we were trying to stop him and his hordes from invading our dimension, fun wasn't exactly at the forefront of my mind."

Nathaniel lowered his hand and the orb fizzled out. "I see."

Nathaniel waved a hand over the modest spread on the table. "What's this for?"

"Ratchet and I were about to watch a movie," Clank answered. Nathaniel pointed to the crackers and cheese. "May I?"

"You may."

"Thanks."

As the psychic helped himself, Terin cleared his throat. "Before we begin, how about we finish introductions?"

"Sure. Though I already know your names," Ratchet replied.

"Of course," Terin said. "Clank, my name is Terin Arc. My friend here is Nathaniel Bayden."

"It is nice to meet the both of you," Clank said, offering his hand. Nathaniel took it before releasing, allowing Terin to take his turn.

"Now that that's done," Terin said, "we can start our business at last."

Ratchet sat up and leaned against the back of the couch. His fingers rest intersected on his lap. His gaze settled on his hands. His ears stood at attention. Clank sat at the couch's edge, hands at his sides, legs dangling over, and feet just breaths from the hardwood. His gaze settled on Terin. Nathaniel reclined and threw his elbows over the back of the chair. He turned to his friend. Terin looked over and caught the psychic nodding. The lombax turned to the duo and started.

"Yes. This is about the Lombaxes. We found a way to bring them home."

"The Dimensionator is broken," Ratchet said. "So good luck with that."

"Talwyn told us the same thing. Thing is, if we wanted to go that route, we would have done it by now."

Ratchet threw his head up. "You spoke to Talwyn today?"

"Yes. At the Defense Force Center. We needed to know where we could find you and Clank."

"Huh." Ratchet looked back at his hands. Fingers unlaced from each other and the right hand settled over the left hand. "I'm surprised you were able to talk to her. She's been busy lately with looking over the new budget. It's been stressing her out to no end as of late."

Nathaniel smiled. "I think we came in at the right time."

"That's good for you two I guess," Ratchet replied.

"From all that Nathaniel and I gathered," Terin began, "we found an artifact that should allow us to traverse time to the point of Tachyon's attack."

"Artifact?" Clank inquired. "So you do not mean The Great Clock?"

Terin shook his head. "No. We mean Travel The Days."

"I have never heard of it."

"Not surprised. IRIS hardly had any information on it," Nathaniel said.

"Then how did you find out about it?" Ratchet asked.

"It's nothing I would've thought of doing, but to make a long story short, after learning of the Great Clock and how it uses Chronology to help regulate time, friends of mine facsimiled a temporal signal and sent it across the cosmos.

"Chronology?" It was Clank. "Temporal magic?"

Nathaniel nodded. "Yes. However, despite their best theories, in my opinion they were simply grasping at straws in vain. So it surprised us all when two pings returned."

"What bounced your signal back?" Ratchet asked.

"One was the Clock so we ruled that out real quick. As for the second one we have no idea. Our best efforts to pinpoint its exact location fail, leaving us that it's north."

Ratchet asked again. "Where were you when you sent the signal?"

He watched Nathaniel tense. Nathaniel exchanged an uneasy look with Terin. The psychic wouldn't hold eye contact with either of the duo as he started, "If it's alright with both of you, we'd like to keep where we were at the time to ourselves."

Ratchet crossed his arms and narrowed his gaze at Nathaniel. The psychic kept his eyes clear of Ratchet's stare as he continued, "I know this throws shade on our intentions. But such information would cause… problems… if you knew where I came from. I ask you trust us when I say we act of our own agency."

"'where I came from'? You speak for yourself?"

"It would be two years at this point—" Nathaniel turned to Terin. The lombax nodded. "—yeah, around two years since Terin arrived to where I was from the Contingency."

"The Contingency?" The duo asked in unison. Ratchet's brows raised and creased his head. His ears perked up.

"The Contingency is the dimension where all the lombaxes went to during Tachyon's attack," Terin said.

"Why would you cross back over Terin?" Clank inquired.

"Another long story made short: to see if Tachyon was still reigning in Polaris." Terin leaned forward and threw a leg up, resting the ankle on his other thigh. His arms came to rest on his elevated leg.

"I must admit," Ratchet said, unable to hide the hint of a smile from forming as he met the eyes of Nathaniel and Terin, "I find both of you having long-stories-made-short to be something."

"They do not lie Ratchet," Clank interjected.

The lombax shrugged. "Never said they did."

"If I may Nathaniel," Clank began, "I would like to go back to Chronology for a moment. Am I correct to assume your associates have access to it?"

"No. But I asked why not we just use what's at the Clock."

"Let me guess," Ratchet spoke up, "bad things would happen."

"Yep. That's what they said."

Ratchet sighed. "Why am I not surprised?"

Using telekinesis, Nathaniel put together another cheese-and-cracker sandwich and ate it.

"This is really good! What's the cheese?"

"It is Ruma. It comes from the vast dairy farms of planet Yalluk in the Vona Sector. Many varieties of it exist and Ratchet has found this kind to taste the best."

Ratchet reached for the crackers and cheese, made his own sandwich, and devoured it in one bite. He said after swallowing, "So I heard you mention IRIS. What did she say?"

"That we should talk to you before heading to the Great Clock and talking to Sigmund about learning the location of Travel The Days."

A short, slight, metallic clink followed the psychic's reply. Everyone turned to see Clank's jaw slack.

"I must admit," Ratchet said, "that comes as a surprise to me as well."

Nathaniel shrugged. Terin cleared his throat.

"We don't know why IRIS recommended the visit but Nathaniel and I aren't going to stop now. Not when we're this close. But this leaves us at the reason for our coming. Ratchet. Clank. Would you like to join us on our journey to Travel The Days and undo what once went wrong?"

Thick was the silence left in suspension around the four of them. Nathaniel and Terin watched the duo closely. In their faces was a distant look.

_"__The urge to peek is strong Terin,"_ Nathaniel transmitted, chuckling to himself.

_"I know you know I know but let me them be."_

_"__Copy that."_

Ratchet's exhale rent the silence at last. "Nathaniel. Terin. With everything I have, thanks for the visit. It's nice to know there are those that still care. Like I said at the door however, I made a promise to myself: 'There's more for me here than over there'."

Purple irises shifted to the left. It caught a head of silver fur downcast for a brief second before it rose out of sight. A clank against the floor drew Nathaniel toward its source as another voice filled the air.

"I will bite."

"Wonderful!" The psychic said, clapping his hands together.

Ratchet gaped at Clank as he walked around the table to Nathaniel and Terin.

"You can't be serious pal?" Ratchet started, only to weakly peter out, the knife of treachery, though he knew irrational, twisted inside his stomach. He blinked once. "I said no."

Clank shook his head. "Do you know why I left the Clock Ratchet?"

"You know I tried asking but you were always tight-lipped about it."

Clank let his optics sweep over the apartment floor. It held his gaze as he spoke, "Then I guess now is the time I do tell why. And I apologize I never told you sooner. I left because I discovered who I was, where I came from, what my destiny was, and a place I could always return to."

The lombax's open hand impacted his chest. "So have I Clank! I know who I am, where I come from… and I'm making my own destiny."

Ratchet stood up and narrowed his eyes at his long-time companion. "And the homes I've made over the years, those are the places I can return to."

"I told the recording of my father that I could not leave you. Not until you found your own. Have things changed Ratchet? Is that what you are telling me? That you found your own?"

"I have. You and Talwyn are who I call family now."

"Then I guess the promise I made to myself is fulfilled."

Clank started to walk away.

"Hey-hey… get back here Clank!" Ratchet ran after him. "I said 'you'!"

When Ratchet caught up to Clank, he kneeled down and met him at eye-level. He reached for Clank's shoulders, stopping the robot from his progress toward the door. "This family isn't complete without you."

With a sigh the lombax's head fell. It wasn't long before Ratchet felt movement on his back. A face nestled itself into his shoulder.

"I understand Ratchet—" Clank pulled away "—but I too made a promise to myself. And it is 'something I intend on seeing through'."

Ratchet raised his eyes and met Clank's optics. "At the very least," the latter began, "can I simply go with Nathaniel and Terin to see what Sigmund says? The fact that he never once said a word of the artifact astounds me. Its knowledge would have minimized the suffering on the part of… him, Ratchet. He did not deserve it."

Ratchet removed his right hand from Clank's shoulder and raised it to his face, wiping at his eyes.

"Alright pal. You can go." Ratchet cast a knowing look to Clank. "Just come back in time so we finish the movie."

Clank smiled. His laugh filled the living room. Like a contagion, more smiles spread among them. Nathaniel and Terin walked around the duo toward the door. Clank released his hands around Ratchet and turned away. The psychic opened the door and together he, Terin, and Clank stepped out.

"I'll lock up behind you guys," Ratchet called to them. "Just… just take care of my pal will ya?"

Nathaniel gave the lombax a thumbs up. "He'll be in good hands Ratchet! Don't worry!"

* * *

"Well, we got Clank to join in on the fun," Nathaniel said to Zenith as the trio approached.

"Are we headed to the Clock then Terin?" Zenith inquired, popping his hatch wide open.

"We are."

They all hopped aboard. Terin closed the hatch and turned over the engines. Nathaniel turned to the backseat. "You good back there Clank?"

Clank finished securing himself at the waist with a buckle before he raised his head to meet Nathaniel's gaze.

"I am," he affirmed.

"Glad to hear," Terin said.

As Zenith rose into the air and pulled out into the main airway, Terin added, "Once we're outside of the complex, we can leave the planet and make the jump to the Clock."

"I assume this means you have coordinates for the Clock?" Clank asked.

"We do."

_**R&C**_

Zenith was well on his way out of Igliak's atmosphere when another ship's hatch opened up. A built and imposing figure, donned in combat armor hopped out. His raised a hand to shield his eyes from the sun. Dark blue irises scanned the apartment building before him. His ship's bio-scans revealed the lombax and human lifeforms on floor three-hundred ten. Timing them revealed that Nathaniel and Terin spent nearly twenty minutes inside the apartment.

And they left with Clank.

Ratchet was alone.

Immediately he contacted Commander Balloch and gave him an update on the situation.

As of now, Balloch had ended the call, saying he needed to contact his superior about the developments given. Before ending the call however, Balloch commanded Jornik to remain vigilant and not make a move until ordered so.

It was a simple command. Easy to follow. But he still had to find a way to pass the time.

So as his eyes continued to analyze the structure, he saw that at every floor was a walkway wrapping around the perimeter of the building. On one of the sides he couldn't see was a door that led into the buildings hallways, filled with elevators and warp-pads to the warp-pad for the building's designated landing strip.

Damaging the warp-pad on the strip crossed Jornik's mind, but he couldn't know who would need to leave during his wait. Jornik was not willing to draw unnecessary attention to himself. As of now, he was a man in combat armor. If anyone's seen him, he might already be suspicious enough.

"Jornik. Jornik come in," a deep, resonating voice sounded. Jornik raised his wrist to his mouth and pressed a button to activate the com-link.

"Yes Commander."

"My superior has given you the okay to secure Ratchet."

"Yes sir."

"However." Balloch stalled a moment, wanting his word to stick. "You are to do everything in your power to make sure the lombax is alive when you bring him to me. If push comes to shove though, and the lombax proves too much, feel free to kill him."

"I understand sir. After I secure Ratchet I'll contact you. What about my associates?"

"They've yet to see me about their assignments. But I have word they're on their way."

"What about the Clock?"

"Leave that to me. You have your mission. Don't fail me."

With that, the com shut off.


End file.
